Oil painting -> List of Painters -> Thomas Couture

Personal Details Name Thomas Couture Place of birth Senlis Oise, France Date of Birth December 21, 1815 Date of Death March 30, 1879 Field Painter

Thomas Couture (1815-1879) was a French painter and teacher who is best known for his history paintings depicting scenes from the past. He also had a successful teaching career, and is credited with being influential in the development of the French Academy of Fine Arts.

Couture was born in Senlis, a small town near Paris, and he initially trained as a decorative painter. He moved to Paris in 1830 and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, where he was influenced by the work of classical painters such as Raphael and Nicolas Poussin. In 1840, Couture was awarded the Prix de Rome, and he spent three years in Italy, which further deepened his knowledge of the classical style. Upon returning to France, Couture began to work on ambitious history paintings. He used his classical training to create works that combined elements of past and present, and often depicted social or political events.

His most well-known works include The Romans of the Decadence (1847) and The Education of Achilles (1850). These works established Couture as one of the most important French history painters of the mid-19th century. In addition to his painting career, Couture was also a successful teacher. He taught in various academies, and was the professor of painting at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1854 to 1857. During this period, he was influential in the development of the French Academy of Fine Arts, which was established in 1856. Throughout his career, Couture remained dedicated to the classical tradition. He was highly regarded by his contemporaries and he was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1867. He died in 1879 and was buried in the cemetery of Montmartre. His works continue to be highly valued, and they are held in many important collections around the world.

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